There are some moody images of desolate trees (using photographs taken by Thomas Bagge) that might hint at some inner turmoil in the music contained in this CD. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is a set of almost aggressive tunefulness. Even Bagge’s drums seem to be seeking harmonic as much as rhythmic development. Fonnesbak’s bass playing is marvellously lyrical continually paralleling the main piano themes but also introducing quotes from other tunes in his solos. What is immediately apparent is that this is a CD with three high calibre players completely tuned to a way of playing jazz.In the film ‘The Holiday’, Jack Black’s character (a composer of film scores) says that he has written a piece for his love interest using ‘only the happy notes’ and this characterises much of Parks’ playing. Even when taking on a cover of Springsteen’s ‘I’m on Fire’, the trio create a bouncy tune from a piece that is about the painfulness of unfulfilled desire. They play a piece by Carl Nielsen ‘Tit er jeg glad’, which translates as ‘I am often happy’ and is one of many folk songs that the Danish composer adapted. Two other cover versions contribute to the set. In Cedar Walton’s ‘Bolivia’, the trio produce a dizzying mix of contrapuntal South American rhythms. The choice of ‘You and the night and the music’, by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz, provides a neat lyrical echo of the Springsteen tune (‘You and the night and the music fill me with flaming desire, / Setting my being completely on fire!’) and, musically, works the same ground as the Springsteen cover here.

In addition to the cover versions, the set includes six original compositions by Fonnesbak (‘Winter Waltz’ , ‘Forever this moment’), Bagge (‘Alcubierre’s Law’, ‘A rabbit’s tale’) and Parks (‘Elutheria’) and a longer piece credited to all three, which has the feeling of a group improvisation. This latter piece begins tentatively and then hits its groove.

Parks feels as if he has been a mainstay in the jazz world for years. This is not surprising given his early career with Terence Blanchard’s band (he was on three on their albums for Blue Note). His previous CDs (such as ‘Invisible cinema’ on Blue Note and ‘Arborescence’ on ECM) show a mastery of lyrical composition and surety of touch in his playing. This set provides evidence of Parks continued development as a master of his joyful piano style. ​ Reviewed by Chris Baber

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